Britain’s top trade official, Sir Thomas Harris, paid a visit to Des Moines last week to discuss ways to boost trade and investment between Iowa and the United Kingdom.

During his 24-hour visit, Harris, director-general of British Trade and Investment, met with Iowa Department of Economic Development Director Michael Blouin, the International Traders of Iowa and representatives from such local companies as Principal Financial Group Inc., Kemin Foods Inc. and EFCO Corp.

His trip represented an effort to scout business opportunities in Iowa for British companies and to persuade Central Iowa companies that are considering opening European operations to locate in the United Kingdom. Accompanying Harris were Andrew Seaton, newly installed as consul general for the British Consulate’s Chicago office, and Jonathan Wood, vice consul for the Chicago consulate.

“We’re looking to help create meaningful links between U.S. and British companies,” Harris said.

Britain’s close alliance with the United States amid the conflict in the Middle East, coupled with tension between America and continental Europe, has probably benefited trade and investment between the United States and Britain, Harris said. What is challenging in Iowa is convincing business leaders of a need to expand internationally.

“Companies here say, ‘We’ve got 283 million potential customers domestically’ and they don’t want the problems that come with opening overseas offices,” Wood said. “We’re telling them that if they don’t take the battle to them, that they will come here.”

The trio are focusing on mid-sized businesses that have 100 to 400 employees and said they are increasingly promoting partnerships between British and U.S. companies.

For Seaton, who was appointed to head the Chicago consulate a month ago, the trip was a chance to learn more about the 13-state mostly Midwestern territory for which he is responsible. Harris has served the British government in Tokyo, Washington, D.C., and Lagos, Nigeria. He was stationed in Seoul, South Korea as the British ambassador to Korea from 1993 to 1997.